One Doorstep Mosaic Shows So Much
Brighton’s architectural landscape, particularly around the late 1800s and early 1900s, is peppered with mosaics that echo a “Roman mosaic revival.” These mosaics, found on shop fronts and within buildings, connect to a broader tradition seen in places like the Victoria and Albert Museum, where female convicts notably created mosaics. The revival saw artisans trained in classical andamento, often by Italian teams, applying principles rooted in ancient Greek and Roman mosaics — offsetting, borderlines, and strategic spacing.
However, a closer look reveals subtle differences. Take, for instance, the mosaic doorstep pictured. The artisans clearly understood and implemented classical rules of mosaic construction. Yet, the horizontal line at the top shows a compression, with the use of rectangles indicating a concession to space that might not be seen in the work of ancient mosaicists.
This isn’t necessarily a flaw but a stylistic divergence. These revival mosaicists, operating more as craftspeople than modern “artists,” engaged with ancient rules but with a different sensibility. The results aren’t less “precise” but reflect a different outlook. It prompts questions about how these artisans interpreted and adapted classical andamento to their contexts. By understanding the rules, we can appreciate the unique character of these UK revival mosaics and consider the creative decisions of their makers.
Lawrence Payne
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